1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer systems and data communication. More specifically embodiments of the present invention relate to protecting peripheral components attached to portable computers.
2. Related Art
The demand for the use of computers has steadily grown over the period of the past several decades. The ever-increasing demand in use of the computers and widespread reliance of individuals as well as business entities on computers along with the reduction in the size of the components led to the innovation of portable computer systems. Shortly after the introduction of the portable computers to the marketplace, the users of these devices demanded flexibility in their use and portability. Consumers seeking mobility of their portable computers require smaller size devices.
The popularity of portable computers caused favorable changes in manufacturing forecasts and manufacturing plans to satisfy the market demands. However, along with such an increase in popularity came the consumer demand for new features, features commensurate with the nature and method of use of portable devices. Furthermore, the advent of Internet and the ever-increasing reliance on electronic mail presented added requirements to the existing one; Internet connectivity and e-mail capability.
To respond to the market demands, once again manufacturers had to incorporate the customer requirements into the design of their new products and to make improvements in the existing capabilities. An improved portable computer, responding to the consumer requirements, can connect to a modem, enabling it to have electronic mail (e-mail) capabilities. Another recent development in portable computer technology is capability to browse Web pages located on the Internet and synchronize, e.g., HotSync, with another device or with a compatible personal computer. Moreover, an advanced portable computer can have Internet capabilities to communicate over a wireless interface (e.g. radio interface).
Furthermore, owners of portable computers capable of wireless connectivity, Internet accessibility, and e-mail capability, demanded a portable computer with a larger memory. The ever increasing market acceptance and extensive use of portable computers with large memory increased customer expectation to the point that an owner of a portable computer demanded not only to have a portable computer with a large memory, but also a portable computer capable of receiving different peripheral components. Conventional peripheral components or smart media cards in use ranges from an extended memory card, a card containing a dictionary, or different games. Prior Art FIG. 1A depicts smart card 101 inserted in a slot in portable computer 110. Side 102 of smart card 101 is substantially flush with side 103 of portable computer 110 where the slot is located.
The users of portable computers, nowadays, who wishes to establish wireless communication can purchase a peripheral component with radio frequency capability or Base Band type-II external cards and upgrade his/her host device to achieve, for example, Bluetooth capability. In other instances, a user may wish to equip his/her device with a peripheral component containing a large technical dictionary, a card containing maps of different cities, or the likes.
Nowadays, it is not unusual to see an owner of a portable computer with a folder containing a number of peripheral cards, which can easily be used in a portable computer. Innumerable peripheral cards supporting different functions are available in the market place. An owner of a portable computer may own several different peripheral cards, supporting different functions, and the owner of the device may swap peripheral card as deemed appropriate.
A modern portable computer, generally, has a receptacle or a “slot” designed to receive different peripheral components. A user of a portable computer can easily insert a peripheral card into the slot in the portable computer and access the information stored in the peripheral component. However, the peripheral cards generally vary in size, and in some instances (e.g., Secure digital I/O, camera cards, etc. . . .) these peripheral cards are longer than the depth of slot provided to receive the peripheral cards. For example a Bluetooth card must extend outside the slot due to the inherent function of the card, requiring an embedded antenna to be exposed as a transceiver of radio signals.
Traditional portable computers provide a slot on a portable computer, which can be used, for receiving peripheral cards and hence augmenting a variety of non-standard functions to a portable computer. However, a device with capability of receiving peripheral component cards (e.g., external memory cards, Bluetooth, camera cards, technical dictionary, and the like) needs to have the peripheral card to communicate with a resident memory as quickly as possible. The standard serial bus and USB are not capable of a quick download or up-load.
Secure digital (SD) communication standard, available in the market, provides a response to the above mentioned shortcomings. A secure digital device (e.g., SDIO) can carry many different peripheral components containing external memory, games, databases, etc. The secure digital cards can be inserted into the slots provided on a portable computer to receive peripheral components as depicted in Prior Art FIG. 1B. Prior Art FIG. 1B depicts portable computer 110 with SD card 120 electrically coupled to portable computer 110. It is appreciated that SD communication standard requires SD connector 130 to provide communication between portable computer 110 and SD card 120. A user of a portable computer can easily port data from one device to another device by swapping the cards or expand the portable computer's memory very conveniently. Prior Art FIG. 1C is a depiction of a SD card 120 inserted in portable computer 110 where the insertion slot is located on top.